Missing Prince
by YaoiCommanderForever
Summary: The straw hat crew once again crash land on mysterious island. Will the crew be willing to leave one of their own behind? (Okay so I started this story way before tangled, sorry if people think i got a few plot points from there, I really didn't but I cant remember where i did get them from. Also i really like this story so i may continue. gotta figure out which direction to go)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Zoro groaned as he slowly surfaced back into consciousness, his head pounding as the pain finally registered in his brain.

"Ugh what the hell happened?" he muttered as he slowly blinked his eyes open. It took a few moments for his vision to clear and when it did he noticed the palm tree that was waving above his head. His brow furrowed in confusion as he stared up at the tree, wondering just where the hell it had come from; the only trees on the Merry were Nami's mikan trees.

With another groan he slowly sat up and looked around himself. First thing he noticed was that he was on a beach which was strange enough since they hadn't been anywhere near land last he checked, though that storm could have brought them a long ways by itself.

The next thing he noticed was his nakama laying on the beach, each of them in various states of disarray; the closest person to him was the love-cook and he looked like something had chewed him up and spat him back out. The third thing he noticed was the Merry and how badly battered it looked, just the sight of it made him feel depressed.

He heard other groans around him as everyone began waking up. One by one they each sat up and took in their surroundings. "Strange, we weren't anywhere near any islands" he could hear Nami mutter.

'No shit' he thought in his head as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He stood up from his spot in the sand and looked behind him at the line of trees that made up a sort of jungle. He had a strange feeling in his gut and couldn't place what exactly it was, why did he feel so uneasy? He tried to shake off the feeling and refocused on the crew. Chopper had gotten up and was going from person to person to make sure they were alright.

The little doctor spotted him and came rushing toward him "Oh Zoro! you're hurt!".

Zoro gave the little doctor a confused look and Chopper pointed at his head "you're bleeding, I need to make sure you don't have a concussion".

"It's nothing Chopper, I'm fine" he tried to reassure the little reindeer but it was no use. He was forced to sit back down on the ground as the diminutive doctor checked him over and bandaged his wound, now that he mentioned it his head did sting a bit.

"There, take it easy for a while and try not to injure yourself further" Chopper told him and Zoro nodded, no need to bring the little doctor's wrath down on him.

"Navigator-san do you know where we are?" Robin asked as she too looked around at their new surroundings.

"No clue Robin, from what I heard at the last island we were still days from reaching our destination" Nami told the archeologist. Zoro stood again and looked back at the jungle once more.

"So this is a mystery island" Luffy said as he smacked his rubber fist into his palm. They all ignored his antics as they made their way back towards the Merry.

"What do you think Usopp, is she safe to sail on?" Zoro asked the sharp shooter since he's the closest they had to a shipwright.

"I'll have to look her over first but from what I can tell of Merry it will be a few days before we ship out at least" the long nose said honestly for once.

"Right, guess this means some of us will have to form a scouting party to make sure nothing on this island will try to eat us while the others will have to bring our stuff ashore so that we can make camp" Nami said as she looked over their group "I want Robin, Usopp, and Chopper to stay with the ship while the rest of us will scout in pairs".

"Oh Nami-swan is so beautiful when giving out orders~" Sanji swooned over the orange haired navigator causing her to roll her eyes.

"Zoro and Sanji will be a pair and I'll be paired with Luffy" She said bursting the cooks bubble of happiness. While Zoro was glad to see the cook put out like that he didn't want it to be at his expense.

"Oi why do I have to pair up with the crap cook?" Zoro griped as he glared at the young woman.

"Because someone needs to make sure you don't get ass backwards on this island and someone has to keep Luffy out of trouble. Don't argue or I'll triple your debt" she snapped at him causing him to grumble about witches.

"Come on retarded marimo, let's get this over with" Sanji growled around his cigarette before turning and heading off into the trees. With a resigned sigh he reluctantly followed the suit clad cook.

"Be sure to come back before night fall" Nami called after them as they plunged further into the trees. At first they traveled on in silence, neither of them really having anything to say to the other. So far the walk was boring and uneventful, the biggest animal spotted so far being some kind of strange deer like creature.

Before long the boredom was getting to the two men so to alleviate their boredom they began picking fights with each other. "I'm telling you moss freak we have to go this way!" Sanji snapped while pointing down a direction.

"And I'm telling you dart brow we need to go this way!" Zoro growled as he pointed down a different way than Sanji. He didn't know why but he was getting that feeling again that he got from the beach, it was indescribable.

"You wanna fight you seaweed brained dumbass!" Sanji snarled, preparing his leg to kick out at the swordsman.

"Try it curly browed jackass" Zoro shot back as he unsheeted two of his swords.

"Tch I'm not wasting my time on an uncouth retard like you, Nami-swan wants us back before sun down and if we disappoint her I'm kicking your ass" Sanji snipped as he glared at the swordsman.

Zoro glared back and said before turning down the way he wanted to go "suit yourself asshole but I'm going this way". Zoro trudged further into the growth, a cursing Sanji following behind reluctantly. Zoro didn't know why but it felt like his feet knew where he was going, as if they had walked through these trees many times before. After a while of walking Zoro froze in his tracks, causing Sanji to halt as well.

"What the hell you shitty swordsman!" Sanji snapped as he glared at the green head.

"Quiet" he hissed as he strained his ears to listen.

"Tch like I'm gonna-" Sanji started to say but Zoro shushed him with a wave of his hand. Zoro listened harder and he heard the unmistakable sound of people. With a grin Zoro continued on his way with Sanji following behind him. They soon broke from the line of trees and found themselves at the edge of a town.

Zoro grinned widely and glanced back at Sanji "And to think you wanted to go the other way crap cook".

Sanji shot him a dirty look and snapped "just shut up asshole, we don't even know if they're friendly".

Zoro simply shrugged and said "so now what, do we go get the others or do we scope this place out?".

Sanji thought it over for a moment before saying "We should probably check to make sure this place doesn't have any wanted posters or marines, if it does we're screwed with the shape the Merry is in".

Zoro agreed, it didn't look like Merry would be going anywhere for a while so they had to make sure the place was safe before they brought everyone else here. Together they walked into the town trying to make themselves seem as if they belonged there, though it was a bit hard with the way they looked compared to the people around them.

Strangely there weren't many people around, mostly old people who looked like they would have trouble going anywhere and kids too young to do anything but play and nap. "Strange how there seems to hardly be anyone here" Sanji murmured as he glanced around the place.

"Maybe everyone who is able bodied is off working or something" Zoro commented as he too looked around, a frown on his face "should we ask?".

Sanji hummed an agreement and walked over to an old woman who was outside hanging up some wet clothes.

"Excuse me miss, we recently arrived here and we noticed that most of the people of this town are gone; would you mind telling us where they went?" Sanji asked with a charming smile.

The woman looked at him and noticed how different he looked "Ah you must be one of the few newcomers our little island is graced with, welcome sir. The reason no one is here is because they have all gone to the capital for our annual festival in honor of our missing prince".

"A festival for a missing prince? Sounds like a very sad time" Sanji murmured with a small frown.

"It is but it is also a happy time, every year on the prince's birthday a festival is held in his honor. During the day there is much laughing, dancing, drinking, and feasting then at sunset the people line up along the river that flows into the sea, each with a floating lantern. We light the lanterns and send them down the river and out to sea, hoping that they will light the way for our young prince to return home; his parents lantern always leading the way... I hope for their sake he does return, the queen has become inconsolable with grief and the king has become distant and closed off" the lady said softly with a sad sigh "if you wish to join in the festivities they are tomorrow in the capital three hours journey from here".

"Thank you miss, I shall inform the rest of my friends" Sanji told her with a nod before turning and walking away. He noticed with a frown that Zoro was nowhere to be seen. "Oi Marimo, where the hell are you!" Sanji snapped as he walked down the street.

"Quite yelling, I'm right here you crappy love noodle; while you were having story time I went looking for wanted posters, doesn't seem like there are any around here" Zoro told him as he walked up to the cook.

"Turns out this place doesn't get many visitors according to that lady so I doubt the Marines will be here, also the reason nobody is around is because everyone is up at their capital helping set up a festival to celebrate their missing prince's birthday" Sanji informed as they both walked back towards the trees.

"Missing prince huh? tragic" Zoro muttered with an eye roll but he had a small itch at the back of his mind, like something about the situation was familiar but he couldn't place where.

"Oi shit head, at least try to act like a human being for once instead of an unmannered gorilla" Sanji snapped with a glare. The only answer he got was Zoro flipping him off which Sanji answered back with a kick to the other's head that Zoro dodged. Slowly they made their way back to the ship, making it back by late afternoon.

The first to notice their return was Chopper who jumped up from where he was sitting to run over to them "You're back! Are you guys alright? Did you find anything? Are there any big scary monsters out there?".

"Chopper one question at a time, we can't answer you if you keep shooting off questions" Sanji muttered as he lit himself a cigarette.

"Sorry, did you guys find anything?" Chopper asked as he stared up at them.

"We did, turns out this island is inhabited" Zoro said as he moved over and sat down in front of a giant rock, leaning back against it and closing his eyes. Chopper stared with wide eyes up at Sanji and over at Zoro "really? are they friendly? will they try to eat us?".

"No Chopper they won't try to eat us, in fact we were invited to attend a party they're having tomorrow up at their capital" Sanji informed and Choppers eyes shone in excitement.

"A party! can we go, please, please, please, please" Chopper danced from hoof to hoof as he stared up at Sanji excitedly.

"That's up to Nami-swan to decide" Sanji told him.

"Aaawwww" Chopper moaned in disappointment as he turned and trudged away to help finish bringing things they needed ashore. The sun was just starting to set when Luffy and Nami came trudging back out of the trees, Nami looking disgruntled and Luffy had a big knot forming on his head where Nami had most likely beat him repeatedly.

"That is the LAST time I go anywhere with you!" She snapped as she marched over to where wood for a camp fire had been set up.

"Nami-swaaaan I made supper~" Sanji exclaimed as he shimmied over to where she stood.

"Thanks Sanji-kun, at least I can depend on SOMEBODY to do something right" she snapped as she glared at Luffy who had hurried over at the sound of food.

"Nami-swaaaaaaaaan!" Sanji exclaimed happily as he prepared the dishes for the girls. Once they had their food he dished everyone else up a plate and passed it out to them.

"Oi moss head, get your ass over here!" Sanji snapped over at the napping swordsman. There wasn't a reply from Zoro so with a growl Sanji stalked over to him "Hey shit head, I said food's ready". Again he didn't get a reply which pissed him off even more. He prepared himself to kick the moss brain awake but nearly fell over in shock when Zoro's eyes flew open and he jolted into a sitting position, chest heaving for air as his hand flew to his arm and a choked sounding "no!" flew from the swordsman's lips. Everyone else looked over, startled by Zoro's actions.

"Oi marimo, what the hell is wrong with you?" Sanji said as he stared down at the greenette. Zoro took a moment to calm his breathing, looking around himself to make sure he was awake and not stuck in the dream he was having... it had been so real though.

"Hey Zoro, you alright?" Luffy called from his place by the fire, empty plate held in his hands as he stared worriedly at his first mate.

Zoro licked his dry lips and blinked his eyes a few times before answering "fine just... strange dream...".

"It must have been a bad one swordsman-san, very few things are able to frazzle you as much as that dream seemed to have" Robin commented as she watched him with that mysterious look she always wore. Zoro grunted, not comfortable with the looks he was getting.

He got up from his spot, dusted his pants off, and headed for the trees. "Oi meathead where the hell are you going" Sanji snapped at the retreating back.

"To take a piss, got a problem with that?" Zoro snapped back as he stomped off into the trees.

"Fine, don't get lost or you won't eat" Sanji shot at him before Zoro was out of sight. Zoro didn't deem it necessary to answer so he didn't, continuing on his way. After he was in a ways from the rest of the crew he leaned against a tree and let his mind wander back to the dream he had.

He was a kid, no older than six. He was snatched from his bed by a towering shadowed figure. A cloth was stuffed into his mouth and he was taken from his room. He was carried over his kidnapper's shoulder as they fled his home. Once they were deep in the trees the man stopped a moment to catch his breath, sliding the boy off his shoulder so he could get a better hold on him.

The boy managed to get the cloth from his mouth, using the chance to bite his kidnapper. The man shouted, letting the boy go. The moment he was free he began running from the man. The person cursed and ran after him, shouting and swearing at him. He didn't stop running, his fear urging him on. Suddenly there was a bang and a burning pain in his arm, causing him to cry out and trip over a tree root.

That was where his dream had ended, Sanji's voice pulling him from the tight grip his sleep held over him. Zoro didn't know why he had that dream, could it have actually been a memory? But that couldn't be, he couldn't remember anything from before he woke up in the bed of that kind old woman who had found him on the shores of his home island; he had been a bloody mess she had told him and she almost thought he was dead.

In fact the only thing he could remember was that his name is Zoro, other than that his mind had been completely blank. So why now, of all times, would he remember anything if it was indeed a memory? Was it because he hit his head in that storm? Was it this island? He didn't know why it would be this island but ever since he woke up here he had the strangest sense of foreboding... could he have been here before he lost his memories?

Zoro groaned and shook his head, it was no use dwelling on the past when you couldn't even remember it. With a sigh he stood up and went about doing his business like he told the others he needed to. Once done he turned and walked back to camp, hoping they wouldn't push the issue on his weird dream. When he got back everyone was around the fire chatting. When they noticed him they looked in his direction. He walked over, acting as normal as ever, and sat down beside the fire. He was handed his supper and the conversation picked back up again.

"Alright I think it's about time we talked about what's on this island" Nami said as she swallowed her spoon full.

"Hai Nami-swaaaan~" Sanji swooned as he did his noodle thing causing Zoro to roll his eyes.

"Well we didn't find much, it was a pain trying to keep track of Luffy so we didn't see much but trees and animals" Nami muttered and glared at where Luffy was stuffing his face.

"We found out this island is inhabited though they rarely get visitors" Sanji informed "I talked with an old woman and she informed me that there's going to be a festival tomorrow to honor their lost prince on his birthday, they'll hold a big party all day then at sunset they send floating lanterns down the river to the sea in the hopes they'll guide him home; she invited us to celebrate with them at their capital".

"A PARTY! ALRIGHT LET'S GO!" Luffy cheered, Usopp and Chopper cheering with him.

"Did you meatheads forget we need to fix the Merry and what if these people find out we're pirates hm? they'll try to drive us out of here" Nami snapped as she glared at the three causing Usopp and Chopper to cower behind Luffy.

"Aw but Nami I wanna party, they might have MEAT!" Luffy whined as he flailed.

"This festival sounds like it could be fun navigator-san, we could all use a small break and if we get to know the locals we can find out if they have a shipwright on the island; we can pretend we are common everyday sailors so as not to arouse suspicion from the locals and see if they can help us repair Merry" Robin commented as she finished her food.

Nami thought it over before sighing and giving in "Fine we can go to this party BUT! I want you all to be on your absolute best behaviour, that goes for you especially Luffy!".

The three cheered and bounced around, chanting party over and over causing the navigator to once again doubt her sanity of joining this crew.

"Guess I can go around tomorrow sampling native dishes, perhaps trade a few recipes" Sanji murmured as he gathered the dirty dishes.

"I can talk to some of the local doctors and ask about their methods and what medicines they use" Chopper said excitedly. Everyone chattered enthusiastically about what they would do tomorrow except for Zoro who had moved back to his rock he had napped against earlier.

He had a feeling something would happen soon, perhaps even tomorrow and he couldn't tell if this was a good or bad something. He stared up at the rising moon, wishing he knew exactly what was to come and how he should prepare for it. Absent mindedly he noted that there would be a full moon tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next day everyone got up early so they could prepare for the walking they would need to do before reaching their destination. Sanji prepared breakfast as well as a snack for Luffy to keep him preoccupied during the time it took to get there, Nami was gathering her equipment together, Robin gathered a couple books to take, Usopp made sure his bag was packed with everything in case they ran into trouble though he severely hoped not, Chopper packed his medical bag in case someone got hurt, Zoro maintenanced his swords, and Luffy just ran around in impatience and anticipation.

"Alright everybody ready to go?" Nami asked as she tossed her bag onto her shoulder. She got cheers of "aye" from the whole crew and with a nod they set off into the trees.

"Sanji-kun can you lead us back to this town?" Nami asked as she looked up at him causing Sanji to become a noodle yet again. "

Haaaaaai Nami-swaaan~" He crooned before leaping off to the front of the pack.

"Don't try to go the wrong way this time cook" Zoro shot at him with a smirk causing the cook to shoot a deadly glare back at him.

"I'm not a fucking marimo unlike you seaweed brain" Sanji seethed.

"Really, then how come you tried to go in the opposite direction?" Zoro asked with a mock innocent look only serving to piss the chef off more.

"Focus damn it, we want to get to this thing before night fall not after" Nami snapped and Sanji gladly complied with her wishes. Soon they broke from the trees and were on the edge of town. They quickly walked through the small town to the opposite side where the path led off into the woods again, Nami made sure to keep Luffy close so he couldn't wander off.

They traveled down the road and as the old woman said it took three hours before they finally made it to the capital. The group awed at the sight of the big city and the even bigger castle that sat off in the distance, it seemed this island wasn't as small as the group had thought it had first been. The streets were filled to the brim with people of all shapes and sizes who were bustling about laughing, dancing, singing, playing music, drinking, etc; it seemed that the festivities had already begun.

Nami turned to her friends one final time to say "I mean it, if we get in trouble because someone does something stupid I'll personally tie them up like a roast and trail them behind the ship so that they can be bait for the sea kings, got me?".

She got different types of agreement but she was satisfied nonetheless, that was until she noticed someone missing "where the hell did Zoro run off too?".

They all looked around, finally noticing the man's disappearance. "Tch the marimo must have gotten lost on the way here, typical moss head" Sanji grunted as he lit a cigarette.

"I'll bash his head in when we see him, I am NOT going to waste my day looking for him" Nami growled before storming off. Taking this as the cue they could leave everyone went in their own directions.

Meanwhile with Zoro he was grumbling as he tried to find his way out of the trees, unknowingly going in the wrong direction and getting further from the path.

"Damn it where did everybody go, they must have gotten lost again *sigh* why does everything have to move? Why do all trees have to look the same, I hate forests!" He complained as he glared at the trees, hoping they would burst into flames and reveal to him where the hell he is.

Finally he broke from the trees only to pause at the edge of a cliff that hung over the sea "How the hell did I get here?". He looked right and left, scowling as he tried to find some form of a bearing. If he squinted he could slightly make out the small outline of a town in the distance off to one side. Satisfied he had a point to head towards, he dove back into the trees.

While Zoro was getting more and more lost, everyone else was having a blast at the festival. The kingdom had gone all out for today with plenty of wonderful food, drink, music, and more. Luffy had found the nearest food source and people watched in amazement as he downed dish after dish without hardly stopping to breath. Chopper was trapped in a circle of women and children who were going on about how cute he was.

Sanji was floating around, giving flowers and compliments to every beautiful woman he saw. Nami and Robin were enjoying themselves looking at the different types of boutiques that were set up, some with beautiful clothes, others with jewelry, etc. Usopp was going on and on about how much a mighty warrior of the sea he was to anyone that would listen.

It was finally late in the afternoon when Zoro managed to get himself out of the forest. He glared at the trees as he made his way into the city, glad he hadn't missed out on the whole thing because of that forest. He wandered down the street, blending in pretty well with the people for the most part; he was pretty good at people not noticing him if they weren't looking directly at him. Soon he found himself some booze that he happily drank, it seemed this place had some really nice liquor. He was also feeling hungry since he hadn't eaten since breakfast so he snatched himself a plate of food which also wasn't bad but wasn't as good as the cook's cooking, though he would never admit it even if he was tortured to death.

Zoro had to admit that the party was pretty fun and everyone did seem to be having a wonderful time but he could tell there was a layer of sadness beneath the merry making, was their prince really that special? He was getting that same weird feeling again but shook it off as best he could; it was getting annoying and he didn't like it. Humming to himself, he decided to try to find the others since the sun was starting to set, he needed to know if they were staying for the whole thing or were going to leave early so that they wouldn't have to walk in the dark.

"Mother, father, I've been having the strangest feeling all day that something will happen today" A young woman told her parents as they watched the party from their table.

"What sort of something dear?" Her mother asked with only slight interest.

"I'm not sure but I have a feeling it will be very big, life changing perhaps" The woman told as she took a sip from her drink.

"Nonsense, today will be the same as every year; in fact it is almost time to light the lanterns" her father spoke, a sort of detached note to his voice.

"Dear you know we shouldn't completely ignore her warnings, remember last time with the fire? We didn't listen and nearly lost all our crops" the mother scolded lightly and if the father were a lesser man he probably would have looked the part of a child caught doing something naughty.

Before any more could be said a certain blond cook caught sight of the two women and hurriedly made his way over, presenting them both with flowers.

"My dear ladies I never dreamed to find such ravishing maidens such as yourselves, your beauty is unsurpassed by even the most magnificent of angels. The moment I saw you it was like a drowning man was finally allowed to breathe the sweet life giving air!~" Sanji swooned causing the two women to giggle in amusement into their hands, something like this has never happened before so it caught them by surprise.

"Careful with your words around my wife and daughter boy" the father warned, finally catching Sanji's attention.

"I am sorry sir, when I see such beautiful creatures such as these ladies I cannot help but shower them with the love and affection any woman so greatly deserves" Sanji told him seriously as he bowed slightly to the women "and since I and my crew are only here for a few days to repair our ship I could not refrain from doing so to such magnificent goddesses".

"Ship you say?" the young woman asked with interest "So you are a sailor? We do not get many visitors here in our kingdom".

"Oh yes my fair lady, I am the cook aboard the ship the Going Merry; our ship was caught in a storm the other day and we were tossed onto this island, it must have been fated for me to meet such charming young maidens such as yourselves" Sanji crooned as he stared at them with hearts in his eyes.

"Oh how awful, your ship must be in serious need of repair" the young woman said with wide eyes.

"It is indeed madam, a crew mate of mine is out there now looking for a shipwright who could possibly help us with the repairs" Sanji agreed.

"He won't have much luck today during the festival, I suggest looking tomorrow when the festivities are over" the woman suggested.

"I will let our navigator and captain know this, great goddess~" Sanji swooned.

The woman turned to her parents and said "mother, father, could it be possible for me to go meet this man's crew? It is our duty to welcome newcomers to the island".

They were both quiet for a moment, sharing glances with each other before her mother spoke "go on dear, so long as you're back in time when we sail the lanterns". With a smile she took the cooks hand and hurried off, the blond looking like he could just die of happiness at that moment.

"Tell me sir cook, who else sails with you, where do you come from?" the woman asked as she glanced at the blonde curiously.

Sanji straightened up and said "well there is our captain who is a bottomless pit when it comes to food and an uncanny ability to attract trouble wherever we go. There is our lovely navigator, one of the most brilliant women aboard the Merry who is as fierce as an inferno yet as delicate as a lily. Then there is our historian, the other most brilliant woman aboard Merry who can be as dangerous and cunning yet graceful and elegant as a hawk.

Another person is our marksman who is the worst lier you will ever meet and the biggest chicken there is. Then there is our fuzzy little doctor who couldn't hide his feelings no matter how hard he tries. Finally is our hopelessly directionally challenged first mate who wants to be the world's greatest swordsman but frankly he is the laziest, most stubborn, muscle brained moron I have ever had the displeasure of knowing; as for where we come from, most of them are from east blue, I'm from north blue, and our doctor is from here on the grand line".

"Oh my, it sounds like you dislike your first mate very much" the woman said as she listened to the man.

"That man is probably the definition of uncouth, he naps right in the middle of the walkway where people can trip over him, he gets lost constantly and would be that way for days on end if we didn't send someone to fetch him every time, he has the mental capacity of a peanut, the table manners of a boar, the drinking habit of an alcoholic though how he manages it without getting drunk I'll never know, he snores loud enough in his sleep to wake the dead, he'll constantly pick a fight for the sake of picking a fight, can never say please or thank you, and he looks like a marimo" Sanji spoke with a huff, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

The woman giggled at the definition she got from the cook "my word, he sounds like quite the character".

"He has his useful moments but those are few and far between" Sanji said with a shrug as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Well I can not wait to meet your crew, I'm sure they are wonderful people" the woman said with a smile causing Sanji to swoon. They kept walking and before too long they were finally able to find where Luffy had stationed himself at one of the many food tables.

The young captains stomach was distended and round from all the food he had consumed. There was a crowd of people around him gawking as they watched him swallow without chewing. Sanji sighed in irritation as the woman next to him exclaimed "oh my!".

With an "excuse me a moment" Sanji walked over to his captain, kicked him in the head, then dragged the whining boy behind him.

"But Sanjiiiiii, foooooood!" the captain complained as he was taken from his beloved food.

"If I left you to keep eating you would eat this kingdom dry" Sanji grumbled. The woman watched the scene with amusement, slightly concerned for the boy the chef had kicked.

"Is he alright?" she asked.

"He'll be fine, he's made out of rubber so next to nothing can hurt him unless it's pointy, poisonous, or involves large quantities of water" the cook told her as he kept dragging Luffy "this is my captain I was telling you about".

"Oh I remember, the bottomless pit you mentioned" she said with a giggle, she finally saw what the other meant "how is he made of rubber?".

"You've heard of the devil fruit right?" Sanji asked and the woman nodded "well this numbskull ate the gum gum fruit and gained its abilities".

"Sanjiiii stop dragging me, I can walk damn it!" Luffy complained and the cook let him go. Luffy stood up and dusted his hat off "So who's the girl?".

"Be polite in a woman's presence for once you heathen!" Sanji snapped "I met her earlier, she wanted to meet the crew and said we wouldn't be able to find a shipwright today because of the festival".

"Oooooooh okay!" Luffy said with a big grin as he bounced along by his cook. They didn't get far before they met the group that surrounded Chopper. The two could hear their doctor's cries for help and Luffy tossed his arm into the group, pulling the doctor out of it. Chopper hit Luffy and they both hit the ground.

The group of people exclaimed in confusion and disappointment as the fluffy thing was taken from them. "Thanks Luffy!" Chopper said happily as he hugged his captain.

"Any time Chopper hehe!" Luffy said back with a laugh as he got up.

"Oh my" the woman said as she stared at Chopper in amazement. Chopper squeaked and hid behind Luffy though did it wrong.

"This is our doctor my dear" Sanji told her with a smile.

"Oh he's so adorable!" She exclaimed as she scooped Chopper up into her arms and hugged him tightly.

"Waaaaah help me!" Chopper squeaked in surprise as he flailed. Sanji morned in his dark corner about how it wasn't fair how Chopper seemed to have all the luck.

"Luffy, Sanji, Chopper!" A voice called them and the group turned to see who it was. Hearts grew in Sanji's eyes as he hurried over to Nami and Robin.

"Nami-swan, Robin-chwan I'm so happy to see you!~" Sanji exclaimed, doing his noodle dance around them.

Nami sighed in irritation and knocked him over the head "we don't have time for your shit right now Sanji and I really don't feel like dealing with it".

"Hahaha hey Nami hey Robin, how's your day been?" Luffy said with a grin as the two groups came together.

"It's been good but with the party going on I haven't gotten the answers I wanted. Who's this?" Nami grumbled as she eyed the new woman, she looked vaguely familiar for some reason but she couldn't place her finger on why.

"Ask Sanji, he brought her" Luffy said as he picked his nose.

Nami hit him over his head "You're disgusting! Sanji, who is she?".

"I met her earlier, she's going to help us get a shipwright to fix the Merry tomorrow, Miss this is Nami-swan our brilliant navigator and Robin-chwan our glorious historian" Sanji crooned with hearts in his eyes.

"Ah a pleasure to meet you both, Mr. cook holds you both in very high regards" the woman said with a giggle.

"A pleasure to meet you too, I hope this irritating twit didn't cause many problems for you" Nami said in exasperation causing Sanji to exclaim "Nami-swan is so cute when irritated!~".

"Actually quite the opposite, I think he made my mother's day with his compliments; it's been so long since we last heard her laugh" the woman said with a soft sad sigh "my parents have been very upset and grievous since my brother's disappearance all those years ago when he was kidnapped by pirates, they came in the middle of the night and took him from his bed; before anyone knew what happened they were long gone and never heard from again".

"That's terrible" Nami said with sympathy for the girl "there wasn't a ransom or anything?".

The woman shook her head "There wasn't and that's what makes it so strange, we were so sure they would send a ransom for his return but we never heard a word from them ever again. Most think brother is dead but there are those of us who feel he is still alive out there somewhere and I know one day he will come home".

There was quiet for a moment before a voice spoke out "hey guys isn't this party great!". They all looked over and saw the long nosed sharp shooter running towards them.

"Hehehehe yeah! So much great food!" Luffy laughed.

"They have so much cool stuff here, it's amazing what you can find when you look.. oh who's this?" Usopp said when he finally noticed the new person.

"This is... um what is your name?" Nami asked when she realized they didn't know her name.

The woman laughed softly and looked at them all "My name is Ziva, it's very nice to meet you all".

"This is Usopp our marksman, now all that's missing is that lousy marimo; wonder if he's still lost" Sanji said as he blew out a stream of smoke.

"Oh your first mate is lost?" Ziva asked as she looked at the group.

"We were coming here for the festival but he got lost while we were walking the path up here, it doesn't matter if there is a path to follow he'll get so lost it's amazing we're ever able to find him" Nami said with a sigh.

Suddenly there was a sound of a bell being rung and Ziva looked up at the sky "it's almost time to send the lanterns, I must go now; it was good to meet you all and I hope to see you again". They all waved as she hurried off then looked at each other.

"So are we gonna stay till it's over or should we get going now?" Nami asked as she looked at everyone.

"I for one would like to see this ritual they perform" Robin said.

"I agree with Robin-chwan!~" Sanji crooned.

"I wanna stay!" Luffy cheered and Usopp and Chopper agreed with him.

"Alright looks like we're staying till it's over, maybe before it ends Zoro will find us" Nami said though severely doubted it. Everyone agreed and followed the flow of people that headed down to the river that flowed through the middle of the kingdom and led out into the sea.

Zoro, with nothing better to do, followed the people who all went off in the same direction; he heard excited murmures about it being time to sail the lanterns. Figuring he would find his crew where everyone was going he decided it would be faster to follow the people and try to find them on his own. The people of the kingdom crowded along the bank of the river, each one of them holding a lantern with unlit candles inside of them. They were all murmuring and talking to each other, the prince being the common topic among them.

"Good evening everyone" called a voice and everyone turned their heads to look at who spoke. Up on a platform stood a well dressed man wearing blue robes that were lined in gold and a gold circlet on top of long white hair and tan skin. His face is handsome and his eyes are pools of dark grey. Beside him stood two women, one with a silver circlet on top of dark green hair, soft pale skin, blue eyes, and red robes lined with gold. The other had light green hair, soft lightly tanned skin, dark grey eyes, and yellow robes.

"I thank you all once again for celebrating the birth of our children, they mean more to us than our own lives and I am sure for all of you it is the same" the man spoke and gained a murmur of agreement from the people "I also thank you for being here to participate in sending our lanterns and our wishes out to sea so that one day we hope our son shall follow these lanterns and return to us all".

"Hey isn't that Ziva?" Usopp whispered and they all stared up at the people on the platform.

"It is, she's a princess?" Nami also spoke, surprised at this turn of events.

"It seems so, how is it we get lucky enough to always meet a royal?" Sanji murmured as he rubbed his chin, a smile on his lips as he thought back to Vivi.

"So the brother she was talking about was the prince" Chopper said sadly. All around them people were lighting their lanterns and preparing to set them sailing. The king, queen, and princess came down with a lantern of their own to join their people. Ziva took the lit lantern, knelt by the river, said a silent prayer, then sent the lantern into the water. The people waited for the royal lantern to pass them before allowing their own to float into the river and down the stream.

It was a solemn moment, a choir of voices singing a song.

"I wanna get closer" Luffy whined softly as he tried to move forward, Nami's hand holding him back from doing so "I swear Luffy if you do something to get us in trouble I'm going to leave you here to take the punishment".

Luffy really wasn't paying attention to her, too intent on wanting to get a closer look. He looked around then hurried over to two trees, taking Nami by surprise when he did. He grabbed hold of them and stretched back, preparing to rocket himself up onto the platform. At that moment Zoro caught sight of them and walked up to them, noting the solemn air.

"Here you are, did you all get lost or something?" Zoro said quietly. At that moment Luffy let go of the tree with a soft "gum gum rocket". Zoro happened to be standing in Luffy's line of fire so when Luffy let go he hit Zoro, taking him with him into the air.

"Gah! LUFFYYYYYY!" Zoro shouted, startling everyone and causing them to stare up as they flew through the sky and landed in the river with a big splash, sinking some of the lanterns. The crew and everyone else stared in horror at the scene, Nami covering her face in shame and embarrassment.

Several moments later Zoro surfaced with an unconscious Luffy and swam to the shore. He tossed the boy up first then climbed up himself, swearing as he punched the boy in the stomach. "What have I told you about dragging me into your flying rubber shit!" He snapped as Luffy coughed and sputtered, spouting out water.

This snapped the people out of their shock and the king ordered "Arrest them!". Quickly the guards swarmed onto the two of them and pulled them to their feet, wrenching their arms behind their backs.

"You have interrupted and violated our ceremony!" The king said thunderously as he stormed in front of them.

Luffy coughed a bit more before smiling sheepishly "hehe sorry, I was wanting a closer look".

"Sorry! SORRY! that is all you have to say for this atrocity!" the king roared as he glared murderously at the young pirate.

"Father please he-" Ziva tried to speak but was cut off by her father.

"No Ziva, do not try protecting these heathen outsiders; it may be our duty to show guests hospitality but when they do something such as this it is unforgivable!" The king snarled.

"Father do you truly think this is how Zoro would wish for you to treat our guests and at his expense no less! They made a mistake and do not deserve to be harshly punished because of it, human beings make mistakes! Even you make them!" Ziva snapped back at her father.

"Uh I hate to interrupt but why am I getting dragged into this argument? I don't know you people" Zoro said with a raised eyebrow bringing people's attention onto him. The king hissed and came face to face with Zoro

"You d-!". The king halted in what he was about to say as he studied the man before him. What he saw made his eyes widen and he stumbled back, a gasp leaving his lips.

"Father!" Ziva said in concern as she came to his side. He shrugged off her hands and continued to stare at Zoro.

"Boy, your name, what is it?" The King demanded. Zoro gave him a strange look and looked around at everyone, noticing they were staring at what was going on "ah... Roronoa Zoro...". Gasps sounded and whispers ran quickly through the people as they all tried to see over each other.

The queen had tears in her eyes as she hurried forward and also studied Zoro's features. "It's him, good lord it's him!" She exclaimed and enveloped the startled swordsman in a hug, Zoro's eyes wide with shock and confusion.

"Neh Zoro what's going on?" Luffy asked in confusion.

"The prince has returned!" The king exclaimed and there were cheers and cries of joy. The rest of the straw hat crew stood in dumbfounded silence, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Whoa hold on now" Zoro said and placed his now free hands on the queens shoulders, gently pushing her away "I don't know what's going on here but I think you're confusing me with someone else, I don't ever remember being a prince".

The crushed look on the queen's face made Zoro feel bad but he didn't want these people getting their hopes up over nothing.

"I know one way to prove it's him" Ziva spoke as she came forward "on his left hip should be his birthmark, that of a bird in flight". Zoro stared at her in shock, no one knew about that birthmark unless he showed it to them and he rarely did.

"Hey I remember seeing that back in Alabasta when we took that bath with the king!" Luffy said with a grin and a laugh. More murmures went around the people and the queen once again hugged Zoro.

"Tomorrow there will be a celebration for my son's return home!" the king exclaimed and there were cheers all around.

"Come we have much to discuss" the king said with a broad grin as he turned and led the procession back to the castle, Zoro getting pulled along by the queen.

"Hey hold on wait for us!" Luffy called making the king pause as the boy ran up to them.

"And who are you exactly?" he said with some distaste, he still didn't forgive him for the stunt he pulled earlier.

"I'm part of Zoro's nakama! Where he goes we go!" Luffy told him, stretching his arm out to circle his crew and dragging them over while they protested. Realization dawned for Ziva as she looked at them all then at Zoro "You are the lazy directionally challenged first mate Mr. cook was talking about?".

At hearing that Zoro scowled and glared at the cook "What kinda lies are you telling people crap cook!".

"Hey I only told her the truth crap swordsman, got a problem?" Sanji shot back.

Zoro rested his hand on his swords as he growled "I do when you spew shit like that when I'm not around".

"You wanna fight about it marimo?" the cook growled back as he lifted his leg.

"ENOUGH ALREADY!" Nami snapped punching them both over the head "I've had enough of your bullshit, keep fighting and I'll add it to both your debts!".

"Damn witch, he fucking started it!" Zoro snapped as he glared at her and rubbed his head, damn now he had a headache.

"Don't argue with me or I'll add another three hundred percent!" Nami snapped as she glared right back.

Zoro went red in the face with anger and growled before turning away from her. Usopp and Chopper were hiding behind Luffy who was laughing at the scene.

"Nami's scary" Usopp muttered and Chopper agreed.

"Hey do we get to eat when we get there, I'm hungry" Luffy said as he looked at the shocked royal family.

"You've been eating all day idiot!" Nami snarled as she bashed him over the head. Robin watched calmly from the side lines.

"Who exactly are you people?" the king asked slowly as he eyed each of the people that surrounded his newly found son.

"We are the strawhats and captain-san is our captain while swordsman-san is his first mate" Robin explained for him, pointing at first to Luffy then to Zoro.

"So you are the people who have brought Zoro home?" the king asked as he eyed them all, they were a strange bunch.

"Hey Zoro how come you never told us you were a prince anyways?" Usopp asked from his place behind Luffy.

Zoro sent him a glare and said "even if I HAD known why would I tell you long nose?".

Usopp ducked back behind Luffy at the glare "okay okay just stop glaring at me!".

"Well then since they are part of brother's crew we should also welcome them into our home" Ziva said with a smile as she watched the scene, she had to admit they looked like a fun bunch.

The king looked at Zoro and said "Should we allow them to follow?".

Zoro stared back at him and said "they are my nakama, where I go they go, no acceptions".

The king thought for a moment before sighing and nodding then turning and continuing on his way.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Once everyone was inside and gathered into a sitting room the discussion began.

"Tell us Zoro what has your life been like these past years?" The king asked as he stared at his long lost son.

Zoro shrugged and said "there isn't much to tell really, I woke up in an old ladies house who found me all bloodied on the beach, I practiced sword fighting at the nearest dojo, when my rival died her father gave me her sword and I set out to become the world's greatest swordsman to fulfill both our dreams".

He paused to take a deep breath after saying that, it still wasn't easy to talk about Kuina "After that I traveled for a while, became a bounty hunter so I could eat, somehow I was given the title of pirate hunter though I never really called myself that, after a while I teamed up with Luffy after he saved me and we've been traveling together ever since then".

"I noticed you have three swords" Ziva said curiously.

Zoro nodded and said "I use the three sword style when I fight, a style I created myself".

"How can you use three swords when you only have two hands?" she asked with a frown.

Zoro grinned and said "I clench the third sword between my teeth like this". He pulled Wadou Ichimonji from its sheath and then placed the handle between his teeth.

"Surely that must hurt" Ziva said in surprise as she stared at the sword.

"I've trained my jaw and neck muscles just as much as I've trained my other muscles, if I'm going to be the world's greatest swordsman I need to be strong in mind, body, and spirit" he explained as he resheathed his sword.

"So much has happened and we couldn't be there for any of it" the queen murmured as tears fell "ever since you were kidnapped by those pirates we prayed you would still live and find a way home". Zoro felt awkward, these were apparently his parents but he had no clue how to act around them and the queens crying wasn't helping much.

"I'm sorry but I don't remember anything past being found by the old lady" Zoro told them, feeling bad that he couldn't remember these people who had mourned his loss for so long.

"You were six when you were taken from your bed in the middle of the night, we hadn't realized it until morning came and you were gone; there had been no ransom and we had no clue where they could have gone so we could not follow" the king told him, a sad frown maring his face.

"I must have hit my head pretty hard" Zoro murmured with a frown as he rubbed his head.

"Maybe that hit is why you have such a shitty sense of direction" Sanji snorted, he needed some form of normality in this really mind blowing matter.

"Keep your shitty comments to yourself dartbrow" Zoro snapped at him with a growl.

"Would if I could Marimo but somebody needed to say it" Sanji said with a grin.

"Oh no then that would mean he has brain damage!" Chopper exclaimed as his tiny arms flailed "Someone call a doctor!".

"You're the doctor!" Usopp snapped and Chopper calmed down.

"Oh yeah" Chopper said before hopping over to Zoro "Zoro let me examine your head!".

"Chopper this was years ago, what do you plan on finding now?" Zoro said with a scowl.

"Brain damage is a serious thing asshole! it could have long term side effects" Chopper snapped as he tugged on Zoro's sleeve.

"So? like I said it happened years ago and I'm fine, don't believe that shit cook, he's as bad as the long nose" Zoro told him as he tried to push him away.

"What did you say moss head" Sanji snapped, his teeth clenched around his cigarette.

"Hey I resent that!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Do you have meat, can I have some, huh, huh, can I?" Luffy asked as he bounced in his seat.

"Ugh boys" Nami muttered as she rubbed her head while Robin just smiled her mysterious smile.

The royal family watched the scene play out before them. Zoro was so different from what they remember him to be like. His parents remember him to have always been a quiet boy who kept to himself mostly. His sister remembered him being a cry baby who was always clinging to her. As they watched they each realized Zoro was not the person they thought he would turn into, he had become someone totally new.

"I believe we should all get some rest, it has been a long day and there is still plenty more to talk about tomorrow" the queen spoke gaining everyone's attention "I'll have guest rooms prepared, Ziva why don't you show your brother to his room". Nodding Ziva stood and gestured for Zoro to follow her. With nothing else to really do he got up and walked out with her, the eyes of his parents and nakama on his back as he left.

"You have a lovely crew little brother" Ziva said with a smile as she walked down the hall.

"Little?" he asked with a raised eyebrow causing Ziva to laugh lightly.

"We're twins, you are the younger of us and today is our birthday; happy birthday by the way" she told him as she led him up a flight of stairs. Zoro hummed and shrugged, it was strange to have a sibling, an older one at that, but he accepted it nonetheless.

"This is unreal" he murmured "never thought I would find my blood family much less be some prince" he said as he looked around at the halls, he felt a strange sense of familiarity and it weirded him out slightly. They stopped outside a set of ornate doors and with a push they swung open.

The room was big and so was the bed that laid against the right wall. Four people could sleep in the bed comfortably with room to spare. The sheets and curtains were a midnight blue color. The carpet was a dark green and looked very soft. There was an ornate armoire on the left side of the room, a small desk sat beside it. A door led out to a balcony which had a table and chairs around it. On the right side of the bed was a small night stand with a lamp and a picture frame. On the same wall he had entered through stood a bookshelf filled with books that looked well worn. On the other side of the armoire was a door that led to a bathroom, how Zoro knew that he didn't know. He walked further into the room and stopped in front of the nightstand, picking up the picture that sat there.

In it was a picture of four people, Zoro, his mother, his father, and his sister. They were on the beach, he and Ziva were burying their father in the sand, his head the only thing sticking out. Their mother was under an umbrella, smiling and laughing at the sight.

The king was grinning as his children packed sand on top of him. Zoro had to smile, they all looked so happy together at that moment and it made him wonder what other happy moments he had forgotten about. He had been really scrawny back then and puberty had been a real bitch to go through, it amazed him how much he seemed to have changed physically over the years. He set the picture back down and looked around the room again. He then turned back to Ziva to see she had been watching him the entire time causing him to blush and her to laugh.

"So these strawhats" she said as she came to sit on his bed "they're a lively bunch, all of them so different from each other and yet so compatible".

Zoro sat down beside her and grinned "I doubt you'll find a crew crazier than the strawhats and believe me I've met some pretty crazy people".

"I'll take your word for it brother" she said with a laugh before going quiet and looking at him "are you happy with your life?".

"Huh? why?" he asked with a confused frown.

"Just answer the question, are you happy with your life? Does your 'nakama' make you happy?" She asked again.

Zoro was quiet for a moment before a small smile formed on his lips and he nodded "I couldn't imagine my life without them anymore".

Ziva nodded and sighed "Then I won't try to stop you from leaving when the time comes but I can't say the same for mother and father, they've waited so many years for you to return home; when they find out you'll leave... just be ready".

He nodded and she stood "you'll have new clothes brought to you in the morning brother, I hope you sleep well".

She walked to the door but paused when he called out "Ziva right? Thanks".

Ziva turned back to look at him "For what?".

Zoro shrugged and said "for everything you did tonight".

She smiled and said "what are sisters for?". She left the room and Zoro sighed, pulling his three swords out of his haramaki and laying them on the bed. He kicked his boots off and plopped back on his pillow, staring up at the canopy ceiling. Finally he was able to let his mind absorb everything that happened in the past hour or two and he was glad he was laying down because if he wasn't, he would have been knocked over by the blow.

"A prince" he muttered in disbelief. With a sigh he climbed into the bed fully and let himself get some sleep, he had a feeling he was going to need it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Zoro felt like morning came all too soon. With a groan he blinked his eyes open and stared up at the canopy. Turning his head to the side he saw the picture of the four of them and sighed "So it hadn't been a dream".

He sat up and scratched his head, looking around the room. Over on the desk he spotted what he presumed where the clothes he was given to wear. Getting out of bed he shuffled across the room and picked it up. Strangely enough it was similar to a green Yukata though there were noticeable differences. With a shrug he headed to the bathroom and got ready for the day.

After he finished showering, getting dressed, and resituating his swords at his side with his haramaki he left the room in search of where ever it was they eat breakfast. He let his feet lead the way and before long he was in the dining room, some of the crew was already there along with his parents and sister.

"Ah good morning brother, how did you sleep?" Ziva asked when she spotted him.

He walked over and took a seat beside her "it wasn't all that bad though that bed was really soft, I'm so used to sleeping on hard and uncomfortable surfaces".

Sanji snorted from where he sat and said "you have no problem sleeping outside during a snowstorm yet you can't stand an actual mattress? I guess you really are a cave man". "You looking for a fight crap cook cause I'll give you one" Zoro growled as he glared, his hand on his hilt.

"Maybe I am you shitty swordsman" Sanji growled back with a glare.

"If you want to fight then take it outside!" Nami snapped as she glared at the both of them.

"Morning all!" Usopp exclaimed as he came into the room "Beautiful day isn- oh they're fighting again...".

Zoro and Sanji glared at each other one last time before digging into their meals. "Ahem you know we were never introduced properly last night" The king said so as to redirect everyone's attention.

"Mm wuvby" Luffy mumbled around his food.

Nami hit him over the head "Don't talk with your mouth full!".

Zoro rolled his eyes and said "that's Luffy our captain, the redhead is Nami our navigator, dartbrow is Sanji our cook, long nose is Usopp our sniper, Robin is our archeologist, and the reindeer is Chopper the ship's doctor".

The king and queen nodded in understanding then the king asked "so what is it you young people do? are you merchants?".

"Um not exactly sir" Nami said as she clamped her hand over Luffy's mouth to keep him from blurting out that they were pirates.

Zoro again rolled his eyes and sighed, turning to stare at his parents "if you guys really are my parents you won't judge us the moment we say what we are and will allow us to explain alright?".

"Zoro!" Nami snapped with a glare but he deemed it fitting to ignore her for the moment. The three royals looked at each other then back at the swordsman, nodding their assent though uncertain if they really wanted to know.

"To put it bluntly we're pirates, remember you agreed to not judge" he said then reminded when he saw their faces, the fear and shock that shone bright in their eyes.

"Each of us joined the crew one at a time. Remember when I told you Luffy saved my life? He saved me from a corrupt marine base that was going to kill me execussion style all because the man in charge had a son who thought he could get away with anything he wanted and that included breaking the deal we had. I agreed to join his crew since he saved me but I told him I was going to fulfill my dream no matter what, Luffy being who he is grinned and said it was fine by him.

So we beat the guy in charge and the underlings celebrated since they were finally free from his tyranny. Luffy and I got to talking and it turned out I was his first crew member, I was shocked as hell to hear that but after a bit it really wasn't all that surprising. Once we left we picked up everyone else along the way; Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, then finally Robin. Each of us has a dream we wish to fulfill and we all owe Luffy our lives. That is why we follow him as the strawhat pirates". There was silence from the three royals, each with a different expression on their face.

Finally Ziva spoke up "So since you are a pirate... do you raid, pillage, and kill?".

Zoro waved his hand as if shooing a fly "nah, that's idiots like Buggy the clown or Crocodile; we mainly just sail around, explore whatever island we find, kick the asses of other pirates and the marines, do the impossible, pilfer some gold, etc... the only times we ever really kill is when the person deserves it like that dumbass Enerue who wanted to destroy Skypiea and all its inhabitants.

"We kicked his ass!" Luffy exclaimed around a mouth full of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full idiot!" Sanji snapped as he bashed Luffy over the head with his foot. The three royals relaxed somewhat, still slightly unsure.

"I know it's a lot to digest, took me a bit to come to terms with since most pirates I've met have always been scumbags" Zoro said as he dug into his food "Oh by the way do you have any sake around here? I could go for a drink".

"Alcoholic pig" Sanji muttered.

"What was that nosebleed cook?" Zoro growled as he glared at him.

"You heard me you moss headed freak" Sanji growled back. The two kept glaring at each other but Zoro's attention was brought to the bottle of booze that was set in front of him. He picked up the bottle, opened it, and took several deep gulps.

With a sigh he leaned back in his chair and grinned "this is good stuff, better than the crap dartbrow buys".

"That's only because I only give you the crappy shit, the good stuff I reserve for making food with" Sanji growled as he glared at the swordsman.

"Whatever crap cook, just admit you have horrible taste in booze" Zoro said with a sneer before taking another drink. With a growl Sanji leapt over the table and swiped his leg at the swordsman much to the shock of the royals. Zoro quickly kicked his seat away and jumped out of the cooks reach.

"You're pathetic crap cook, can't even wait till breakfast is over" Zoro snorted as he took another drink. Sanji growled and came at him again, kicking out his leg only for it to be stopped by a sword. Zoro finished off his sake then tossed the bottle away, drawing another of his swords.

Sanji struck out again, his kicks continuing to be blocked by swords. The royals watched, worried for their son and astounded at how well he was able to use his swords.

Ziva looked at the other pirates and asked "why aren't you stopping them? They could hurt each other".

Luffy laughed, eating the food Zoro and Sanji left on the table "Ah they'll be fine, they're always like this".

"You know if I didn't know Sanji was straight I would think he had a crush on Zoro" Nami mused as she took a bite "this so screams little boy pulling little girl's pig tails".

"You never know Navigator-san, you may be right" Robin said with a mysterious smile.

Nami turned a suspicious eye on her friend and spoke "just what do you know that I don't?". All she got for an answer was the smile.

Soon enough the fight ended with both of them pounding on Luffy for eating their food. "So Ziva you said there were shipwrights around here and you would show us?" Nami asked as she looked to the princess.

"I did say that didn't I" Ziva said with a smile "I would be happy to show you where the workshop is".

"Do I have to go? I've skipped out on training for the past two days and I'd like to get some in" Zoro said as he looked at Nami.

"Do what you want, not everyone needs to go" Nami told him before turning her eyes to Luffy "you need to be watched by someone because I don't trust you not to get us thrown out even if our first mate is their son".

"Namiiiii so mean" Luffy whined and pouted "I was just going to go around and see if anyone would give me meat".

"And that's precisely why someone needs to watch you" Nami snapped.

"I can watch him for today Navigator-san" Robin offered with a smile.

"Would you? Oh you're the best Robin" Nami said happily as she hugged the other "then it's settled".

Everyone finished up their breakfast and went about their business. "Hey is there a weights room around here?" Zoro asked the king and queen.

They both looked at each other then back to him, the king saying "I'm not sure, there might be a training room for the soldiers; I could ask someone if you like".

"That would be great, I left all my training gear back on the ship and I'm not going all the way back there just to bring it all back here... though the hike while carrying all that weight would be a good warm up" Zoro said, murmuring the last bit to himself as his mind calculated all his weights together.

The king and queen smiled uncertainly before the king sent for a guard. It wasn't to much longer before one of them arrived. "You're majesties?" the guard asked looking between the two.

"Yes I was wondering if there happened to be a training area for the soldiers somewhere in the palace" The king spoke.

The guard nodded and said "there is your majesty, is there a reason you ask?".

"There is, our son wishes to use the area to train in; please take him there" The king told him.

The guard blinked in surprise and looked over at Zoro, noticing the swords at his waist "r-right away your majesty, this way sir".

The guard walked off and Zoro followed after him, calling back to the two "thanks pops".

The king raised an eyebrow at that and looked to the queen "pops?". The queen merely giggled and walked off, leaving behind a bewildered king.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Nami, what is your opinion of my brother? I heard many negative things from Sanji but surely he can't be all that bad, he was such a sweet boy when we were younger" Ziva said as she looked to the navigator for answers.

"Well some of what Sanji usually says is true; Zoro can be so lazy it's beyond annoying, he has a bit of trouble filtering what his brain tells him to say but it isn't as bad as Luffy thank goodness, he drinks booze like it's water, he'll get himself lost even when we're on the ship, and he has the emotional capacity of a rock with his three main ones being sadistic, happy, and bored" Nami told her with a roll of her eyes.

"And then I guess he has his good qualities; He's stubborn, loyal, hard working, he has a soft side when it comes to the younger ones of the crew like Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper, fiercely protective... all in all he's one of those older brother types who will do anything for their younger siblings but put up a front so that no one who doesn't know where to look wouldn't be able to tell how much he really does care".

Ziva quietly listened to Nami as the orangette finished her thoughts, a small smile pulling at her lips "He sounds like quite the man, I will be sad to see him go when the time comes".

"You aren't going to try to talk him into staying?" Nami asked in surprise.

"No, I know it will be pointless to try; He is too loyal to leave his crew and he is truly happy being a pirate, so long as he is happy I am as well" Ziva told her with a sigh "besides, I think it may be a bit late to teach brother to be a royal; I fear he may try to slice our advisors to piece out of sheer boredom". This had both women laughing as they both pictured Zoro with a constipated look as he had to sit in a room of old men and listen to them babble on and on about politics.

~time skip~

Everyone met up again at lunch time, this meal being just as lively as breakfast. "Well we talked to the shipwright and we decided that we'll take him to the ship after lunch to take a look at the damages" Nami told them all.

"I'm gonna come with, I need to get my weights cause the stuff they have here stinks, it's all too light and not worth working out with" Zoro said after he finished his sake.

Nami simply shrugged and said "suit yourself but you're carrying all that crap here yourself unless you can rope Luffy into helping you".

"Nah I'll do it myself, should be a good work out just bringing it all here" Zoro told her.

"I thought I told you no hard activity! You're head is still injured" Chopper cried from where he sat with a frown on his face.

"I'm fine damn it, it's just a small cut" Zoro growled, he never did like the little deer fussing over him.

"Pfff you said the same thing back on little garden when you tried to cut your own feet off and only got half way through" Usopp scoffed and the three royals gasped at hearing this bit of news.

"You tried to cut your own feet off!" the queen cried in horror.

Zoro shrugged and said "hey it was either that or just give up and stand there and be turned into a wax statue... which by the way almost happened because you idiots were dicking around".

"How was I dicking around! I was being chased by a guy who used exploding boogers and a girl who could crush you just by sitting on you!" Usopp cried in indignation.

"At least I was doing something useful unlike you moss head, you let the enemy catch you, Nami, and Vivi!" Sanji snapped as he glared at the greenette.

"Please you were drinking tea and chatting with the enemies boss" Zoro scoffed and glared at the blonde "you're always going on about saving damsels in distress and yet you missed the whole fight, in the end it was Usopp that saved all of us from suffocating to death on wax".

"It was more than you did mr. death pose" Nami growled as she glared at the swordsman.

"Hey like I said if I was gonna die I wanted to have an awesome pose, not my fault you were posed lamely" Zoro huffed with an eye roll. The three royals watched them all bicker about their part in the fight at little garden with amazement, they could talk about a near death experience so easily as if it was nothing to them.

"Well I'm finished eating, you had better hurry Zoro or I'll leave you behind" Nami said as she stood from her place. Zoro quickly scarfed down his food and jumped up to follow her.

As he was leaving, he called over his shoulder to his parents "Hey can I get a cart to haul my weights in? Not a tiny cart either, something big and sturdy that will hold several thousand pounds".

This caused his father to do a spit take, nearly choking on his drink.

"Goodness do you really need that much?" His mother exclaimed in surprise while his father tried to cough the liquid from his lungs.

"Of course, if I'm going to be the world's strongest swordsman I'm going to need to get as strong as possible" Zoro shrugged "And don't worry about hooking it up to any horses, I'll be pulling it back myself".

This caused his father, who had taken another drink to calm his throat, to do a second spit take.

His mother stammered and stared in shock. Ziva had a little more decorum than her parents and was asking the nearest hand to prepare their sturdiest cart.

"It will be waiting outside for you" Ziva told him and he waved back at her as he disappeared out the door "Really mother, father, why are you so shocked? He has told us of his accomplishments, surely his training regimen should come as no surprise".

"But- dear- several thousand pounds" The queen said, fanning herself.

"Be thankful it isn't winter, he would probably sleep outside for resistance training" Sanji scoffed as he lit himself a smoke.

"Remember Drum Island when he decided to go swimming half naked while still injured from his fight with Mihawk? I'm amazed he didn't die of hypothermia" Usopp snorted.

"I wish he would let me check him for brain damage" Chopper said sullenly as he poked at his salad. He received a consoling pat from one of Robin's hands that appeared on his chair. The arms appearance startled the royals, not having witnessed the other fruit powers the crew held.

~meanwhile~

Zoro and Nami were on their way back from the ship. A little black cloud was floating around Nami as she had just discovered how much it would take to fix their ship. Zoro was puttering along beside her, deciding to not comment about the navigator's greedy nature; he had no desire to have the price for the ship added onto his debt.

As they passed through the village, many of the people stopped to stare and whisper excitedly.

"Seems you have a fan club now" Nami sniffed as she glanced around at the people.

Zoro grunted and also cast his eyes around. People ducked his gaze, women giggling flirtatiously and men grumbling in envy.

"Tch, too bad for them I don't plan on sticking around" He scoffed.

"So you really won't stick around?" Nami asked as they exited the village, a small crowd behind them watching them as they left.

"Why would I? I'm not cut out to be a prince, besides I still have my dream to fulfill, can't do that here sitting on a throne" Zoro said with a grunt, momentarily stuck on a rock.

Nami paused as she waited for him to get unstuck "I don't know, I just figured you would want to get to know the family that has mourned you the last 13 years".

"Yeah well they know I'm not dead now so they can stop mourning, besides it's not like I'll never be back" Zoro huffed as he lugged the cart up a small incline, yeah this was a great warm up "And they can always follow us with the paper".

"Mmm true, we are practically in that thing almost every day with the antics Luffy likes to get up to" Nami mused "But aren't you worried they might get the wrong impression? The newspaper likes to embellish a bit about what exactly it is we do, and not the good kind but the kind that paints us in a bad light".

"I've already told them we don't rape, pillage, or murder" Zoro sighed and stopped in his tracks "Look, if they believe the garbage people write about us then they aren't a family I would want to stick around with".

Nami paused as well, studying the swordsman for a long silent moment.

Zoro noticed this and scowled at the navigator "What?".

Nami shook her head and kept walking "Nothing, let's hurry up and get back".


End file.
